June 1863, University of Berlin.
As a top noble child, Ernst attended here as an auditor using his father's connections.
Recently, Ernst's schedule has been quite packed, primarily focusing on learning economic principles. Other courses mainly covered noble etiquette, demeanor, and even religion, all taught by Ernst's private tutor.
Accompanying Ernst were his private tutor Richard and his servant Tom.
Previously, Richard had been responsible for Ernst's early education.
The group first departed from Heixinggen to Stuttgart, then passed through Bavaria to take a train to Berlin.
The journey was delayed significantly due to visits to familiar nobles, taking nearly half a month to reach Berlin.
Fortunately, the latter part of the trip was mostly by rail, avoiding unnecessary banquets and social events.
Upon arriving in Berlin, as a member of the Hohenzollern family, it was natural to first visit the Prussian royal family. Ernst met with his uncle, William I.
In fact, Ernst had met William I as a child, but he was very young at the time and didn't remember much, and he hadn't yet awakened his memories from his past life.
As for why there was a connection, it can't go without mentioning Heixinggen's unique position. As the birthplace of the Hohenzollern family, even though the Brandenburg Hohenzollern family is now prominent, having become electors of the Holy Roman Empire and bolstered the current Prussian Kingdom, blood ties cannot be overturned. The ancestors of the Prussian royal family also originated from Heixinggen.
The ancient castle where his family resides was actually co-funded with the Prussian royal family for construction. However, his branch has lived in Heixinggen for generations without leaving, while the Brandenburg Hohenzollern family couldn't leave the power center of Prussia, Berlin, to develop in such an outlandish place as Heixinggen. Only due to the special nature of the ancestral land would the Brandenburg royal family invest in renovating the Heixinggen Hohenzollern castle; this is a matter of family honor.
The Hohenzollern castle was initially an early military fortress, later damaged in war; the current Hohenzollern castle is a newly rebuilt construction.
Sometimes the Brandenburg Hohenzollern family would return to Heixinggen for visits. Last time, the Prussian royal family sent people there when Heixinggen and Sigmaringen combined to form the new Prussian Hohenzollern province and merged into the Prussian Kingdom. Ernst was born shortly afterwards and naturally couldn't meet the visiting Prussian princes.
William I first inquired about Prince Constantine's current situation, then learned of Ernst's reason for coming to Berlin, and upon hearing that Ernst was here for academic travel.
William I was very pleased, as the Prussian royal family has always valued education as much as the military. It is seen as a centennial plan, just like the military.
And now with Ernst choosing Berlin as the first stop of his academic travels, William I was still quite happy, which indirectly attests to the development of Prussia's education sector in recent years.
In the end, William I welcomed Ernst and assured him that if he encountered any trouble, he could seek help from the palace.
Ernst expressed his gratitude and also met other members of the Hohenzollern family, Crown Prince Frederick, and the future world-changing yet still young William II.
Newly in Berlin, Ernst frequented gatherings among the nobility, which was his only social activity.
The vast majority of his time was spent at school, or engaging in physical training, as medical standards in this era could not be guaranteed, so Ernst placed great emphasis on health.
Besides basic strength training, there was also horse riding, and of course, firearms shooting. Ernst was previously exposed to this basic military education, which is foundational for Prussian nobility.
At the University of Berlin, Ernst also made many friends, although academically he struggled. Compared to these genius-like classmates, he found himself dull, but Ernst maintained a good attitude and did not compare his intelligence with these "monsters."
There were also some noble sons similar to Ernst studying here, but they were generally older. However, the mature-seeming Ernst got along well with them.
There are quite a few nobles at the University of Berlin, but in Germany, that isn't much of a matter. Nobles are more enthusiastic about military academies, the University of Göttingen, the University of Bonn… such competitors.
...
"Alright, today's lesson ends here. Class dismissed!" The professor said sternly.
The professor, expressionless, packed up his teaching aids and promptly left.
With a weary look on his face, Ernst rubbed his eyes, packed the notes and books from his desk into a briefcase, and was about to leave.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "Ernst! Where are you going after school?" Classmate Garrett elbowed Ernst as he was about to leave.
"Of course, I'm going home, Garrett," Ernst replied.
Garrett asked with mock surprise, "You're not attending tonight's banquet? I heard Karl is organizing it, and many ladies will be there!"
"Garrett, I'm still young, don't try corrupting me, besides there have been too many banquets and salons recently, I want to rest for a while." Ernst chuckled, nudging Garrett's shoulder with his elbow.
"You scoundrel, you know more dirty jokes than I do, I bet you're only pretending to be proper." Garrett gestured exaggeratedly to "expose" Ernst's hypocrisy.
...
Amidst the playful banter, Ernst left the school, and outside the gate, Tom was waiting by the side.